Call Me A Dreamer

Two doors opened in one week and I didn’t even have to push a bit. There is no question that God’s hand is moving in and through this writing process. When I returned from the writing conference, She Speaks, in late July, I remember asking God to confirm this dream to write by opening up doors. I committed to waiting upon Him to do the work, instead of pushing forward out of determination. My determination was to let HIM provide opportunities, and while I waited, I wrote.

This week I received two emails with God’s fingerprints splattered all over them! The first was a letter stating an article I wrote about giving out our time generously (my first article ever submitted) will be included on the Sage Ministry newly launched website next month (http://www.sageministries.org/). The second email was from an editor of a small Christian newsletter, called Titus2. She asked if I would be interested in contributing a few articles with a single’s perspective throughout the year. Interested? Yes!

My heart is struck with the words of Psalm 37:23, “If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm." God asks us to listen to His voice, decide to be committed to obedience and then follow through with the plans He places on our hearts. He will do great things with our obedience, whether noticed or unnoticed by those around us, for the sake of His glory, His name, and His renown. I am praising His name this week as I celebrate this confirmation to write!

Have you ever sensed God calling you to something, but you quickly talk yourself out of it? Do you ever secretly long for God to use your life? Have you been holding onto a dream for so long it seems nearly impossible to realize?

I’ve known those feelings and I want to encourage you to open yourself up to what God may want to do with your dreams. So often we think of dreams as mystical but we can step towards our dreams and trust God because He created our hearts. The example of Nehemiah comes to mind as someone who had a dream, asked God to give him an opportunity and prepared himself in advance for action, waiting for God to move. When God opened a door of opportunity, Nehemiah spoke prepared words to King Artaxerxes, and was allowed to return to Judah to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. So often we hide the dreams in our hearts because we’re afraid. What if Nehemiah allowed fear to keep his mouth quiet before the king? I'm learning my dreams and God's will for my life can work together!

Not long ago I read Psalm 37:4 for the first time with deeper understanding. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I literally used to cling to this verse in regards to my then crush of the moment, thinking that surely if my heart desired my crush, God would grant me a date. I’ve realized this verse promises something so much better than dating a crush. God was saying to me that He would put within my heart desires for the things He had planned for me! I was astounded with the thought that as I sought Him, my heart would begin to desire the things He had for me. Delighting in God is loving Him, and when we love Him, we want to obey Him.

Sadly, we sabotage God’s greatness for our own comfort and end up losing out. What God wants to blossom, we so often bury. God doesn’t need us, but He has chosen to gift us and use those gifts for His purposes. I urge you to seek Him this week regarding your dreams. What if God wants to take us higher than we ever dreamed possible?

If we do have a dream, ultimately we have a choice. We can hide our dream, hoping no one finds out, or we can step out with confidence in God’s power. I don’t know what dreams you have or if it’s God that has placed them in your heart, but isn’t it worth the risk of finding out? In the process of pursuing your dreams, the best reward will not be the outcome, but walking the road with God as your Guide.

All I know at this point in my writing journey, is that God is at work because He has given me a dream, awakened that dream and is now helping me live it out. I will continue writing, waiting and watching in awe, as He opens doors I never imagined I’d get to walk through.